All Articles In 'Pharma and Biotech'
Comparative Effectiveness Research: How Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Spent $474 Million in ARRA Funds
As part of the $1.1 billion provided to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) earmarked for comparative effectiveness research (CER) under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA or Recovery Act) of 2009, $474 [...]
Medicaid Program Integrity: Federal Investigations, Audits, and Evaluations to Combat Medicaid Waste, Fraud, and Abuse
In its latest Medicaid Integrity Program Report, the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) outlines Medicaid program integrity activities for FY 2011, including Medicaid-related audits and evaluations and Medicaid-related legal and investigative outcomes. Funding was employed [...]
Essential Health Benefits: Preliminary Analysis of Essential Health Benefits and Potential Benchmark Health Benefit Plans for Virginia
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires benefit plans offer a minimum set of essential health benefits. Those include ambulatory patient services, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance use [...]
Prescription Drug Pricing: Estimating Generic Drug Cost Savings
Prescription drug spending rose by $135 billion between 2001 and 2010 to comprise approximately 12 percent of the nation’s overall healthcare outlay. While drug expenditure was one of the fastest growing components of U.S. healthcare spending [...]
Medicaid: Recommendations for Strengthening Medicaid Program Integrity
Federal and state Medicaid spending currently exceeds $460 billion and, with this, accountability is necessary on all levels. To ensure Medicaid program integrity: Consistent incentives must be offered for better health outcomes. Services must be used [...]
Electronic Prescribing: Benefits and Challenges of E-Prescribing
A study funded by AHRQ and published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, Transmitting and processing electronic prescriptions: Experiences of physician practices and pharmacies, identifies both the benefits and challenges with electronic prescribing [...]
PCORI Identifies Five National Priorities for Comparative Clinical Effectiveness Research
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has published its first set of proposed national priorities for research, Draft National Priorities for Research and Research Agenda Version 1. This 22-page publication highlights five focus areas for use [...]
Using Health Information Technology for Chronic Disease Management: AHRQ Webinar
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is hosting a free webinar on Using Health Information Technology for Chronic Disease Management. Webinar is set for Tuesday, June 21, 2011, at 11:30 am EST. During the 90-minute conference, participants can watch [...]
Medicare and Medicaid Compliance: OIG Advice for Operating an Effective Compliance Program
Comprehensive compliance programs are essential for all hospitals, health systems, physician practices, Medicare Advantage plans, Medicaid health plans, Medicare prescription drug plans, drug manufacturers, medical device makers, long-term care providers, and others doing business with Medicare, Medicaid, or [...]
Compliance Challenges of Health Reform: Questions Compliance Professionals Should Ask as They Prepare for Health Care Reform
With an array of payment reforms, quality and safety requirements, massive expansion of Medicaid, and creation of the new State Health Benefit Exchange marketplace, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) presents extraordinary new challenges for compliance, especially [...]















